Software
Hardware
Please review the Software & Hardware Descriptions and suggested tutorials to familiarize yourself with the software/hardware before you book time at the studio.
Ableton 10 Suite
Ableton is a digital audio workspace for creators to get an interactive experience with composing a huge variety of music as well as live performances. Select from a diverse library of preset instruments, effects, and plugins to create all. Ableton is great for recording, arranging, mixing, and performing with audio and midi clips. Instruments, effects, and other tools can be mapped to a midi keyboard for ease of access. With many complex and unique features, Ableton is great for compositional interaction.
Adobe After Effects
After Effects is a video compositing program made by Adobe, specializing in compositing/layering videos and effects; think of it like Photoshop for videos. It works great for projects that include many layers or require more effects-heavy work. Some uses for After Effects include making photos come alive in 3D space, motion tracking, and blending videos together. There are many tutorials online that help users accomplish a specific task or get started with the software.
Adobe After Effects - Getting Started
Adobe After Effects - Hand Drawing Effect
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC is a photo processor and image organizer. It is a great place to use basic lighting edits to make your photos look amazing. It uses simple color-changing tools to simplify the editing process. Choose between given presets or doing it manually for whatever effect you desire.
Adobe Premiere
Adobe Premiere is a video editing software package suitable for both amateur enthusiasts and professionals. It can be purchased and used alone, or alongside other applications such as Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, etc.
DaVinci Resolve
Made by Blackmagic Design, DaVinci Resolve is an all-in-one video editing program, specializing in color editing, correcting, and grading. Its user interface is incredibly simple to use and is very similar to programs such as Premiere Pro and Final Cut X. DaVinci Resolve also boasts a free version of the software (available on their website) that is a great way for new users to try out the software at no cost.
Check out these tutorials that will help you get started with Davinci Resolve:
DaVinci Resolve - Full Beginner Tutorial
Final Cut Pro
Apple's Final Cut Pro is a program that's similar to a digital audio workstation since it can edit audio, but also has robust audio editing capabilities. It's possible to import and edit 360 degree video and it even supports iMovie for more advanced editing. It also has an intuitive layout that allows for a vertical arrangement of expanded video channels.
Garage Band
Garageband is a Digital Audio Workstation by Apple that enables users to create podcasts, voiceovers, instrumentals, and other audio projects. It's also great for basic video editing. It comes preinstalled on most Apple products and can be installed from the app store if it isn't already. Garageband is great for all skill levels and is quick and easy to use with little prior experience. It also comes with a variety of virtual instruments and music loops to play with.
iMovie
Apple's iMovie is the perfect choice for anybody wanting to get started with video editing. The interface allows users to have everything they need on one screen and on one timeline. This editing software can add titles, transitions, and allows a one-button voiceover narration.
Logic Pro X
Logic Pro is like the older brother of Garageband. It is a Digital Audio Workstation by Apple with more fully fleshed out audio editing features and has an interface that is similar to Garageband. Logic is great for recording, arranging, and mixing audio projects. It is also possible to edit music scores with traditional music notation within Logic. Logic also comes with many more instruments and loops than Garageband. Logic also comes with a feature called Drummer, which is a virtual drummer that plays along to your music. All in all, Logic is known as the go-to for creating music.
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is the industry standard Digital Audio Workstation when it comes to recording and mixing music. Pro Tools is best known for its ability to group and edit large audio projects. It shares many of the same features as Garageband and Logic, but has an emphasis on the post production side of things. This means that it may be easier to compose music in a separate application and edit the audio files in Pro Tools.
Microsoft Office 365
Microsoft Office is a group of applications that consists of Outlook, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams. These applications allow users to create, edit, organize, and share documents such as articles, spreadsheets, slideshows, videos, and much more.
Lighting
Felix Light Kit - Professional studio LED lighting used for photoshoots, video shoots, live stream etc.
Dracast 2000 - Good choice for studio or location work where color accuracy, control, and flicker-free output are of prime importance. Dimming from 0-100% is conveniently done with a back-panel button that adjusts the output with negligible color shift and indicates the light level on a digital readout. The durable aluminum frame is supported by an sturdy, U-shaped yoke with locking knobs on each side and a standard 5/8" receiver.
Lightboard - Lightboard controls
Grip Stuff
Working with C-stands and flag kits can be daunting for the unfamiliar user, but they are incredibly simple to use once learned. C-stands are used to hold different materials on a set such as backdrops, lights, and flags. Flags are used to block or cut a certain amount of light to give the creators more control over the lighting on the subject or background.
Green Screen
The green screen is a tool used for layering video clips on each other. For example, a weathercaster on the news stands in front of a green screen and the graphics are added digitally. It is great for everything from hosting a news program to putting yourself on the moon! Make sure that the green screen is clean and lit evenly, that the subject is lit, and that there are no shadows on the screen.
Microphones
While The Backdoor Studio has a wide variety of microphones to record, it is essential to understand that there are three main types of microphones that are widely used.
Dynamic Microphones This is the most common microphone for live sound. If you’re unfamiliar with microphones, you have most likely seen a dynamic microphone being used at a local event or a concert. The reason is because they are the most versatile of the microphones. The diaphragm of this microphone is composed of a metal coil and a magnet suspended in the middle of microphone, because of this, dynamic microphones don’t require extra wattage (Phantom Power). The diaphragm within the microphones are fairly sturdy and are able to capture sounds that require more air pressure. This makes them wonderful to use for just about any project. Strong vocals, drums, instruments, you name it!
Condenser Microphones This is a common microphone used in studio recordings. These microphones are more sensitive than dynamic microphones.The reason being that instead of a metal coil and a magnet, there are two metal plates that cause the metal diaphragm of the microphone to move. This means that these microphones are able to pick up subtle nuances in sound that cannot be heard in dynamic microphones, the trade off being that these microphones aren’t as robust as their dynamic counterpart, and require extra wattage (phantom power) to use. These are excellent vocal and instrumental microphones, especially for capturing any delicate sounds and very fine detail. Handle these microphones with care.
Ribbon Microphones Ribbon microphones are different from their condenser counterpart, but are in ways similar to a dynamic microphone. These microphones pick up sounds via a metal ribbon that moves the diaphragm of the microphone. This means that ribbon microphones are much, much more sensitive than either condenser or dynamic microphones, however, they pick up sound much more naturally than both condenser or dynamic. This means the closer you place the microphone to the source, the less high end frequency you receive on the sound frequency spectrum. The best use of these microphones would be as drum overheads or room mics; using these microphones as strict vocal or instrumental microphones is bad technique. While these microphones don’t require phantom, they are extremely delicate. Please handle these microphones with the utmost care and precision and do not under any circumstances use extra wattage (phantom power) with these microphones.
